Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Koh Lipe Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Koh Lipe

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,059 in Koh Lipe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $4,063 in Koh Lipe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $6,067 in Koh Lipe.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 39% less than in Koh Lipe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 6% below, Koh Lipe is 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$7.23 ฿236

-34.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$73.7 ฿2,407

-38.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$13.62 ฿445

-38.11%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$4.96 ฿162

-40.93%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 ฿22.40

$1.17 ฿38.29

-41.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.59 ฿19.31

-37.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$3.89 ฿127

-38.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$6.02 ฿197

-38.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$2.80 ฿91.4

-20.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$2.36 ฿77.2

-22.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$2.81 ฿91.8

-22.78%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.90 ฿94.6

-23.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$24.48 ฿800

-19.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$4.56 ฿149

-20.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$16.82 ฿549

-19.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$4.20 ฿137

-21.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$2.10 ฿68.5

-23.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$2.96 ฿96.6

-18.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$2.51 ฿82.0

-17.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$2.00 ฿65.2

-23.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$1.81 ฿59.1

-18.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.24 ฿40.35

-20.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.64 ฿21.05

-20.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$5.40 ฿176

-18.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$24.13 ฿788

-19.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$2.30 ฿75.1

-22.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$3.50 ฿114

-22.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$2.08 ฿67.8

-34.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$4.49 ฿147

-32.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$1.57 ฿51.3

-36.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$20.65 ฿674

-31.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$2.02 ฿66.1

-32.67%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$41.1K ฿1.3M

-31.44%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$50.2K ฿1.6M

-34.43%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$122 ฿3,975

$142 ฿4,632

-14.19%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.57 ฿443

$15.79 ฿516

-14.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$21.55 ฿704

-15.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$76.1 ฿2,484

-20.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$21.38 ฿698

-19.83%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$10.98 ฿358

-20.86%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$693 ฿22.6K

$884 ฿28.9K

-21.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$19.8K ฿646.6K

-20.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$62.0 ฿2,026

-4.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$36.23 ฿1,183

-4.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$122 ฿3,992

-6.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$88.6 ฿2,894

-6.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$1,549 ฿50.6K

-60.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$1,097 ฿35.8K

-60.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$5,109 ฿166.9K

-59.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$3,686 ฿120.4K

-59.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$9,096 ฿297.1K

-58.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$6,675 ฿218.0K

-60.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Last update for Koh Lipe: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $1,549 in Koh Lipe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $74.0 in Koh Lipe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $368 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Phuket vs Koh Lipe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket wins on cost – living expenses run 63% lower than in Koh Lipe. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Phuket the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,898 in Phuket and $3,089 in Koh Lipe to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $613 in Phuket versus $1,549 in Koh Lipe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $884 in Koh Lipe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $74.0 in Koh Lipe. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,059 in Koh Lipe, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Koh Lipe. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Phuket delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,265 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Phuket hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Phuket and Koh Lipe are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Koh Lipe. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.